


You can't tempt fate

by ColorfulStabwound



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Gen, Harry Potter Next Generation, Hogwarts, Hogwarts Second Year, Male Friendship, Malfoy, Youth, potter
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2013-03-21
Updated: 2014-08-19
Packaged: 2017-12-06 01:47:04
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 13,570
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/730227
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ColorfulStabwound/pseuds/ColorfulStabwound
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Scorpius Malfoy is about to find out that no matter how hard you might try, you simply cannot tempt fate.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. The second sorting

**Author's Note:**

> This is a WIP, Next Gen fic that will eventually become Scorpius/Albus in the distant future.

There are certain truths in life that cannot be denied. 

Sure as the sun sets, the sun will always rise.

It is always darkest before it is light.

You'll never be loved by anyone as much as your own mother.

Rain in the summertime is for standing in.

Scorpius Malfoy knew that it did no good whatsoever to tempt fate, his mother had once sat him down and explained all of life’s little truths to him, and she had also told him that no matter what happened in his life, that she would love him. At the time he didn't know why she was making such a big deal about it, nor did he realize that her eyes were shining not with happiness, but with tears. It wouldn't be until much later in his life that he understood this moment, til he could fully grasp the weight of the words she had spoken softly beside him. It would be something that hit him like a shock to the system, suddenly and with immeasurable force and he would immediately pen an owl to her.

But we skip so far ahead..

  
"I thought I was supposed to stay out of the rain, mother. Whatever do you mean now?"

A pale and wispy 12 year old Scorpius looked up at his mother, wide grayish gaze staring intently into her crystal blue gaze, desperate to understand what she'd meant.  Astoria merely smiled fondly at him, head shaking softly as she reached up, ruffling his hair with a palm. _"One day you will understand, darling. You will understand why there isn't anyone in the world who can love you more than I can. Now, tell me about Hogwarts."_ Scorpius curled up into his mother, feet tucked beneath his own body as he recounted all the boring classes he would be taking, about his dorm mates and quidditch and Astronomy and Potions. Rummel Zabini says that old Slughorn might let us brew Polyjuice this year, can you believe it mum?" Astoria smiled warmly at her son, blond head tilting slightly. She doubted very much that the potions professor would allow such a thing, but she also knew what a jokester Rummel could be. Blaise Zabini was one of Draco's few close friends, and she had it on good authority that naming his son "Rummel" had been the result of a lost bet between husband and wife. She had laughed in the library for nearly a quarter hour over the future 'Rum Zabini,' the double entendre of the name still bringing a smile to her face, even to this day.

Scorpius and his mother talked of Quidditch and whether he fancied playing and she was not at all surprised to hear that he very much wanted to play. Scorpius had been flying with Draco for years and his mother wagered that he'd make a capable seeker for Slytherin house. Scorpius carried on and on about Quidditch and the uniforms and his theories and findings on team unity and practices. His eagerness to absorb never failed to amaze her and she couldn't help bending down to press a soft kiss to his sandy head. 

Later, when he was tucked beneath his duvet in his second story chambers Scorpius stared up at the ceiling, mind still on his upcoming second year and all that he hoped to accomplish. When he finally slept he dreamt of snitches and dark haired shadows on broomsticks and his heart raced in the dead of night. In the morning he wouldn't remember his dreams but he would know with more certainty than ever that Quidditch was what he wanted to do.

What he _must_ do.

~

"Mother please, people are staring."

Scorpius tried his best not to whine as he silently pleaded with his mother to stop fussing over him, the way she smoothed his hair and straightened his jacket was cause of surreptitious sniggering from just about everyone surrounding them on the platform.  After several moments she caught his eye and sighed in defeat, her hands dropping to her sides with a fond smile.  Scorpius turned to his father, who he noticed was not even looking at them and he doubted had even heard the exchange. Scorpius tilted his head and followed his father's gaze across the station, squinting at the cluster of people near the opposite end of the train.

"Father..?"

He peered expectantly as Draco's attention snapped back to him, not missing the faint redness coloring his ears. His father chose to ignore it in lieu of placing a hand on his shoulder and wishing him a promising year. Scorpius nodded at his father and smiled, feeling somewhat small beneath his gaze. Their relationship wasn't as affectionate as what he had with his mother, but he never questioned that he was loved by them both.

The train ride to Hogwarts was much like he expected, most of the Slytherins situated at the very back of the train in two joined compartments. It was loud with so many people but that was okay, oddly enough Scorpius didn't mind all the noise at all. Though they were all together they were divided by small clusters, some based on age, others on familial connections. Across from him sat Duston Montague, beside him, Alexa Nott. On his left was Rummel, practically clinging to his right was Primrose Parkinson. (Her mother was divorced; Scorpius knew that much, but father always cringed at the mere mention of her, so they never brought her up) This was his immediate go-too group, the five of them could almost always be seen together; from the common room, to the classroom, to the great hall. It was inevitable; Scorpius never bothered fighting it because he knew that you simply could not tempt fate.

Duston and Rummel were debating the probability of Polyjuice and Alexa was painting her fingernails with a coloring charm and Prim was whining in his ear about how much she'd missed him over the summer. Scorpius grunted vaguely as his pale eyes scanned the joined compartments, silently naming each fellow housemate and categorizing them in his head. _'..Marcus Goyle-Bully, clumsy, slow. Arabella Finn- 4th year, keeper, gum smacker. Sinclair Westwort-6th year, liar, smells weird.'_ Scorpius occupied himself for quite some time with this, smirking to himself every so often at his creative mental categories. By the time he'd reached the other end of the compartment they were pulling into Hogsmeade and there was only one person he'd not yet categorized.

Albus Potter.

Scorpius considered this missing housemate as he straightened up his robes, and fingered his hair. Which categories to place Albus in.. _Albus Potter- Name almost as odd as mine, likely Quidditch teammate, ...Green eyes?_   Scorpius' mouth twisted with a frown as they made their way towards the train’s exit, his mind still on categorizing the elusive Potter. They weren't really friends, but not enemies either. They spoke at times and were always cordial, but it had never really gone beyond that. Scorpius knew that his father and Albus' father had some kind of 'history,' it wasn't hard to notice the way his father instantly reddened at the mention of Harry Potter or the way his mother would cough quietly behind her hand or the way grandmother seemed to smirk at them all in turn like she knew something they all did not. His father had never elaborated beyond a vague wave and a quickly stuttered 'we graduated same year.'

That was it. Slightly more than he'd ever had in regards to Albus, but hardly.

Scorpius shrugged the thoughts away as he climbed into a carriage destined for the school, not at all surprised by the presence of Prim and Rum. The ride was silent on his part, but not from lack of trying from the other two. Scorpius still hadn't laid eyes on Albus Potter, and now he simply _had_ to. How else was he to properly categorize him without seeing him first hand?

The great hall; he'd have to be there..Scorpius was sure of it, and for reasons unknown this pleased him greatly.

The great hall…


	2. The confrontation

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Scorpius Malfoy is about to exchange more words with Albus Potter in the span of a few minutes than their entire first year at Hogwarts together.

_I've never seen hair that black before, it's not the slightest bit brown...I wonder if it's magically altered..._

Scorpius spent a good portion of the sorting stealing surreptitious glances at Albus, who had _finally_ seen to it to join the rest of the Slytherins. Scorpius had seen him parting ways with a decent sized group of students that he could only assume were his various family members. He slid into his spot between Prim and Rum, propped his chin up on his hand and began what would be an impossible task of sorting Albus into one of his many mental compartments. Oddly enough, he never got more than a thought or two before he was distracted, if it wasn't the jet-black hair it was the way his eyes resembled cut grass, or the way his mouth quirked now and again as he watched the first years being sorted. Scorpius saw no shame in this blatant study session and it wasn't until Rum leaned very close and hissed 'take a picture, it'll last longer' in his ear, that he snapped out of it.

_What am I doing?_

Scorpius gave himself a good and proper mental slap, pushing any and all thoughts of Albus Potter from his mind and forcing himself to focus on the sorting ceremony. 

_Morgenstern, Serena_  
Mottley, Andrew  
Oblene, Sidney

The monotonous nature of the sorting had his eyes instantly drooping, his body all but sagging with boredom. Had his sorting ceremony last year been this bloody boring? Scorpius fidgeted in his seat and his mind began to wander, pale blue eyes already traveling back to the raven-haired Slytherin at the other end of the table. His bottom lip found its way between his teeth and he was vaguely aware of a speech, and yet he still gaped stupidly down the table. It wasn't until he felt Prim's nails clutching his arm painfully that his gaze fell away, his head instantly shaking as if to clear his thoughts.

_Merlin's saggy y-fronts Scorpius, reel it in!_

Scorpius gave himself a firm mental talking to, thinking himself quite a bit insane by this point. What was it that his father had always told him? He pondered for a moment before the memory came to him. He had been sitting in the parlor with his father and grandmother, it was July, and he remembered it was warm for July. His father had made a comment in passing about talking to one’s self and how you could not truly consider yourself crazy unless the voices answered. Scorpius had rolled his eyes at the time, much like he was doing now and it was at that precise moment that a certain grass-green gaze had flitted down the table to peer curiously at him. Scorpius never knew that brief moment had taken place, by the time he had gathered his wits Albus was staring over at the Gryffindor table, eyes narrowed at his older brother who was gesticulating wildly between Albus and Scorpius.

When the sorting ceremony was finished and the feast had passed Scorpius found himself on a sofa near the fire in the Slytherin common room, Rum and Prim wedged neatly on either side of him. Most of the Slytherins were gathered around in the large room, including Albus, who was lying flat on his back alongside the stone grate. Some people were sharing stories of their summer holidays and others were talking hushed with heads bent together. Prim and Rum were arguing over the rumors about werewolves in the forbidden forest and Scorpius was hardly listening but enough to offer a vague nod or grunt every so often.  He felt warm and awkward and no matter how hard he tried he couldn't stop his eyes from moving to Albus. He wasn't sure what had come over himself but he figured he'd better get out of the common room before someone noticed his peculiar behavior.

"I'm gonna turn in, I'm beat."

He announced to his two friends, who protested and whined. (Okay, it was mostly Prim who whined) Scorpius waved goodnight and headed up to his dorm where he climbed up on his bed and stared at the ceiling. He sighed heavily and attempted to sort out this 'Albus' problem his mind seemed keen on. His blond brows knitted together as he attempted to catalog every moment the two of them had shared up until this point. Honestly the list was very short and none of the instances had been much different than the two of them sharing space like they had been doing in the common room. Scorpius didn't understand it and was about to give up when the door swung open, he didn't even have to look to know who it was and his heart dropped right to his feet.

"Why were you staring at me during sorting?"

Albus made quick work of getting to the point and Scorpius could only stare at him for a couple of moments (which he was apparently really, _really_ good at), bottom lip quivering with unspoken words.

"I wasn't staring...”

Scorpius replied, a bit lamely, he knew. Albus raised a brow at him and gave him an expression that _clearly_ told Scorpius he didn't believe him, this made Scorpius angry for some reason.

"You were so, my brother saw you with your mouth open."

It was this particular moment that Scorpius wished for the floor to open up and swallow him whole. He knew his cheeks and nose were stained crimson and yet he chose to stare defiantly at the raven haired boy anyways, guilty as he was.

"I don't care if you were, I just wanted to know why s'all."

Albus shrugged a shoulder and Scorpius felt a pang of guilt hit him right in the chest, instantly melting any subsidiary anger.

"I didn't mean anything by it."

Scorpius offered the other boy an apologetic smile, fidgeting with his robes and feeling rather awkward.

"It's fine."

Albus replied and if Scorpius didn't know any better he'd swear that the tone of it was slightly sad. This confused him and yet he said nothing, frowning as the other boy moved across the room to his own bed and drew the curtains.

Scorpius stared at the closed curtains for a long while, unsure what to make of what had just happened. He'd exchanged more words with Albus just now than he had in the whole of their first year at Hogwarts. Did Albus care? Was he mad? Upset? Indifferent? Scorpius found that he wanted the answers to these questions more than anything and as he climbed into bed he couldn't help but wonder what tomorrow would bring.


	3. Friends

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Albus helps himself to breakfast and Scorpius falls down; friendship ensues.

 

If anyone would have asked Scorpius Malfoy what his second year at Hogwarts would be like, he could have given you a simple enough answer. Classes, eating, sleeping, time with friends, Quidditch.  What he wouldn’t have been able to tell you about is his sudden fixation on Albus Potter, or in turn, Albus Potter’s ‘tolerance’ of it.  Keep reading...

It started the first morning of classes, in the great hall to be exact. Scorpius was in his usual seat, Prim on his left, Rum on his right. Usually it was Alexa and Duston who sat across from the trio, every meal; without fail. When Albus Potter slid into the seat directly across from Scorpius that morning you can imagine his surprise. He nearly choked on pumpkin juice and Rum kicked him under the table, flashing him a look of warning.

“Morning.”

Albus had said, just like that and then went about his business. Scorpius winced as Prim tightened her vice like grip on his arm and then it was his turn to glare warningly at her, which made her hands instantly fall to her lap. 

“Morning, Albus.”

The greeting had come from Rum and Scorpius smiled, hoping he wasn’t blushing. 

“Yeah, er...Good morning.”

Scorpius managed, suddenly very interested in the food on his plate. He heard Rum sigh dramatically and he cringed, knowing before it happened that Rum was going to make conversation.

Conversation that could potentially be embarrassing for Scorpius.

“So, Albus, planning on trying out for the Quidditch team this year?”

Scorpius’ gaze narrowed at Rum, who seemed rather pleased with himself and proceeded to shrug an innocent shoulder at him. Rum was not in the least bit shy and this moment was not an exception. Scorpius waited with bated breath for Albus to answer, dread filling his insides.

“Sure am, I’m gonna be the team seeker, just like my dad.”

Albus nodded happily as he speared a sausage and slid it onto his plate, oblivious to the horrified expression that flashed across Scorpius’ face.

_Seeker...But I want to be the seeker..._

Before Scorpius had a moment to protest this new information Rum was speaking again and that is when Scorpius decided he would kill Rum in his sleep later that night.

“Funny you should say that, Scorpius here was planning on going for team seeker...Weren’t you Scorpius?”

Rum nudged his side at this and Scorpius cleared his throat, managing a thin smile.

“Why yes Rum, that is true, I did plan on trying out for seeker.”

He tried to sound nonchalant, even going as far as offering Albus a casual smile.

“That’s okay,” Said Albus, “we can both try out.”  He nodded brightly at Scorpius and it instantly made him feel better, which was…odd.  

The remainder of the breakfast was focused more on eating than talking and Scorpius was thankful for it. As it was he hardly ate, instead choosing to pick at his eggs and toast while he thought intently about the Quidditch trials happening that weekend. Rum managed an easy conversation with Albus as they ate and Scorpius envied him for that, not actually able to say more than a few forced words to the boy. He had never been so happy to see a meal end if it meant getting away from Albus, which was odd considering how pleased he felt inside to have him around. 

They shuffled out of the great hall towards potions, Albus falling into step on Rums other side. Scorpius frowned as they headed back towards the dungeons and he secretly wondered if Rum was the reason that Albus had came to sit with them this morning. Maybe he wanted to be best friends with Rum, which was fine Scorpius supposed, even if he didn’t feel that way inside. Scorpius continued to brood over Albus’ true intentions all the way to class, completely missing the narrowing of the corridor which knocked him right on his arse when he walked face first into a corner.

“Bugger!”

He grumbled to himself, scowling up at his friends who had paused to turn around and laugh at him. Scorpius glared at Prim who was shrieking with laughter despite how angry he looked, Rum wasn’t much better the way he was doubled over guffawing.

“It’s not funny.”

Scorpius muttered, dusting off his hands and wincing at the shallow cut on his palm. The room to the Potions classroom swung open at that moment and Scorpius sighed, dabbing at the droplets of blood smeared on his dirty hand.

“Go on and save seats, I’ll be right there.”

Scorpius shooed Prim and Rum away before he shifted, reaching for the strewn parchment and quills that had managed to break free from his book sack in the fall. He hadn’t even realized Albus was still standing there until he spoke, now bent down and peering directly at him with those grassy colored eyes.

“Are you alright?”

He asked, and he wasn’t laughing, not even a little bit. Scorpius’ mouth twisted and he nodded his head, shoving the contents of his bag back inside it.

“Yeah, it’s nothing, just a scratch.”

He held his palm up to show Albus that yes; it was in fact, just a scratch. When Albus reached for him it surprised him, and his first reaction was to pull away.

“I just wanna see it, can I?”

His voice was even and slightly flat and Scorpius wondered if it was indifference.   “Sure.” He replied, holding his hand out towards the other boy, who took it in his own hands and pulled it close enough to examine.  Scorpius couldn’t help himself; he was watching Albus inspect his wound with an odd fascination. The way his eyebrows would twitch with a frown or his rosy lips would pucker and twist, Scorpius felt like he’d never seen anything quite so interesting before.

“It looks like a crescent moon.”

He murmured and Scorpius blinked, peering down at his hand.

“I wonder if it will leave a scar.”

He muttered without thinking and was rewarded with a rather horrified looking Albus.  “I’m sorry.” He said and Scorpius frowned, blond head shaking softly.

It’s not your fault.”  He replied, offering the raven haired boy a smile. “We should get to class; Professor Slughorn will wonder where we are.” 

Albus nodded in agreement and stood up, immediately holding a hand out for Scorpius to take.  “Thank you.” He said as he was hoisted and Albus shrugged a shoulder and said ‘don’t mention it.’ Scorpius felt a flush on his cheeks and nose and as they headed into Potions, he hardly even cared.

_“Ah, Mr. Potter, Mr. Malfoy, lovely of you to join us! We’re partnering up so take that table over there. Hurry now, exciting things are brewing today!”_

Albus led the way to the only remaining table and they slid into it, Scorpius was decidedly ignoring the hushed snickers as well as the amused grin from Rum and the pained frown coming from Prim.

“Is she your girlfriend?”

Albus’s voice was in his ear and Scorpius nearly jumped out of his skin before turning a wide-eyed gaze on him.

“My girlfriend?” He sputtered, head shaking violently. “No she’s not my girlfriend; we’re just friends is all.” Scorpius was babbling and flustered and was ultimately saved from flailing about a second later as Professor Slughorn called for everyone’s attention.

The class went smoothly, actually it went more than smoothly and once Scorpius had pushed aside all his  ‘Albus’ thoughts he found they had absolutely _nothing_ in common besides both wanting to be seeker for the Slytherin quidditch team. The ninety minutes passed quicker than Scorpius would have liked, and before he knew it they were cleaning up their work space and putting their books back in their bags. Albus was beside him when they left the classroom and Rum flanked him in the hall, leaving a scowling Prim to fall in on the other side of Rum, which amused Scorpius greatly.  They headed upstairs towards Charms and Scorpius smirked the entire way.  When they reached Charms Scorpius purposely walked a bit slower so he could sit next to Albus and as if already foreseeing this, Rum guided Prim into the seat beside him without much of a choice on her part.  The day went pretty much just as this. Albus, Scorpius, Rum, Prim. Scorpius wasn’t sure how this twist of fate had happened but he was pleased; beyond pleased, and with any amount of luck they could do it again tomorrow.

“Thanks for partnering with me today, I had fun.”

Albus had told him later than night in the common room. Scorpius grinned back at him and nodded, leaning a bit closer. “You should be my partner all year, save me from Prim.” He nodded knowingly at Albus who in turn flashed him a conspiratorial grin and nodded his head.

“Deal.”

He murmured, and Scorpius straightened up, feeling inexplicably pleased. The rest of the night passed in the blink of an eye and when Scorpius lay down to sleep that night he was still smiling. 

Albus Potter was his friend.

It was fate.


	4. Tryouts

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Albus Severus has eyes the color of grass...Wait, what was I saying?

It had been five days since Albus Potter decided they should be friends. Five days of classes and meals and lounging by the fire, and Scorpius couldn’t be happier. It was funny to him how different he and Albus were, and yet despite those differences, they seemed to complement each other perfectly. Albus was brilliant in charms and Scorpius excelled in potions, which balanced them out and made every class breeze by. In just five days their group of five had turned to six and no one seemed to hardly notice.

Except James Potter.

Scorpius wasn’t sure what James’ problem was with him, but in five short days he had come to realize that there was _definitely_ a problem.  On Tuesday when Albus had made a stop at the common room James had approached Scorpius in the hall and asked him right out what he had done to his brother. Scorpius hadn’t understood then what he’d meant, surely James didn’t really think Scorpius would do something to harm Albus...Did he?  On Wednesday James found Scorpius in the library between classes and had not so kindly asked him to stay away from Albus. When Scorpius asked him whatever for, James merely snorted thickly through his nose and said not to worry about it. Scorpius considered talking to Albus about his brother but decided against it, what if he thought ill of Scorpius for it? Would he stop being Scorpius’ friend if James wanted him to? In the end he had simply ignored James, and also made sure he was rarely anywhere in the castle by himself. 

It was Saturday morning and just about everyone was in the great hall for breakfast, the level of tolerable chatters had risen dramatically and Scorpius just wanted to get on with it. Today was Quidditch tryouts, and he couldn’t help but feel torn about going into them. Albus was his friend and he liked that, but on the other hand, he really wanted to play on the Slytherin team. After breakfast the pair walked down to the pitch together, shoulders mere centimeters away as they neared the locker rooms. Albus paused just outside the door and turned to Scorpius, whose blond brows were furrowed together in thought.

“Hey, whatever happens today, we’re still friends...Right?”

Scorpius’ head snapped up at the words, pale eyes widening. Had Albus been feeling the same way he had all along?

 “Yeah, of course, why wouldn’t we be?” 

Scorpius smiled at him and nodded his head, feeling slightly better than he had moments before.

“Good luck out there, Scorpius.” Albus nudged his shoulder as they headed in and Scorpius grinned, feeling light as a feather. “You too, Al.” He said, and he meant it.

Trials were tough; Madam Hooch was exactly like his father had told him she was, tough but fair to a fault. Scorpius held nothing back and flew with an agile and precise ease on his Firebolt Lightning. Flying with the rest of the team was brilliant and at that moment Scorpius wanted nothing more than to be chosen. They ran formations as he demonstrated drops and broom lunges and near the end they set free an actual snitch for him to seek.  When he was finished Madam Hooch and the Slytherin team captain told him that the final results sheet would be posted in the common room that evening. As he left the pitch he saw Albus take the field and lingered near the locker room entrance to watch until he was shooed away by the bristly flying instructor.  Once showered, he sat himself on a bench and waited, his heart still thudding loudly in his chest. He wondered how Al was doing out there, and if he was better than he was. Scorpius knew Albus came from a long line of Quidditch players and despite his burning desire to make the team, he hoped that Al was having a good try out. 

It was a while later when Albus finally trudged inside the locker room looking sweaty and breathless, a red flush staining him high on his cheeks. Scorpius’ breath caught in his chest for mere moments as they stared at each other, Albus lips curving into a grin just before his did.

“How’d it go?”

He asked, jumping up from the bench and nearly skipping over to where Albus stood, shucking off his flying gear.  

“Really good, actually. I hope I make it.”

Albus was still grinning and when he stole away to the showers, Scorpius stayed behind. 

This was going to be the longest six hours of his life..

 

Dinner in the great hall had become something of a ritual. Duston and Alexa still sat opposite of the trio, except now they were also a trio. Prim had joined them as their third party and Albus now sat on Scorpius’ left, Rum on his right. Prim still pouted and Rummel still poked fun at her and Scorpius couldn’t be happier. It had been nearly a week since he’d given up trying to sort Albus into his mental compartments and had decided that he didn’t care. Albus had a compartment all his own it seemed, and it defied everything that Scorpius had ever known. In less than a week Scorpius had learned more about himself and also his new friend, than he ever thought possible. Even now as they sat shoulder to shoulder, each picking at their food, Scorpius couldn’t help but smile. He knew Al was just as nervous as he was about the team results being posted; both boys dreading and hoping simultaneously.  Scorpius was lost in his own thoughts about Quidditch and friends and studies and it wasn’t until a quiet voice sounded in his ear, that he snapped out of it.

“Come on, let’s get out of here.”

Albus was sliding out of his seat, grass-green gaze eyeing their friends surreptitiously all the while. Scorpius arched a curious brow at him, following his gaze to their group of friends who seemed to be engaged in a conversation about the new DADA professor and his level of attractiveness. Scorpius felt the unmistakable tinge of mischief inside of himself and he grinned, sliding his legs slowly over the bench to join Albus. They tiptoed away without anyone noticing, or so they thought. Unbeknownst to the pair was another set of Potter eyes on them, James Potter did not look happy.

“I just needed some air, I can’t eat a bite.”

Albus explained as they pushed out the front doors of the castle, Scorpius sprinting to keep up with the raven haired boy as he ran towards the quidditch pitch, Slytherin robes billowing behind them. It took mere moments to break two brooms out of the broom locker and another thirty seconds to shrug off their robes and kick off.  They took turns chasing each other around the length of the pitch, Scorpius shouting loudly as he looked over his shoulder only to see Albus close on his tail, body flattened perfectly against his broom. The wind whipped his cheeks and stung his eyes and he knew he’d never had so much fun in all his life.

“No matter who gets it, just...”

Scorpius’ brows knitted together at the half formed sentence that was spoken some time later, they were sitting on their brooms high above the pitch, legs dangling towards the ground as they chatted. He was about to ask Albus what he’d meant when he spoke up again.

“Just promise me we’ll still be friends.”

Albus looked at him and he froze, that grassy gaze peering straight inside of him. It wasn’t what he had said that seemed to burn Scorpius from the inside-out, it was the _way_ he’d said it. Scorpius felt like he could give Albus just about anything he wanted if he asked just like that.

“Of course we will. We’ll always be friends.”

Scorpius smiled and felt a warm flush creep onto his cheeks and the bridge of his nose. He felt like he could stay out here all night with Albus, just flying around and having fun. He felt at ease with the other boy, much more so than he’d ever felt with any of his friends. Albus didn’t expect anything from him, and return didn’t expect anything back. They were friends, and no matter how it had started, Scorpius knew that they would always be friends.

“I guess we should get back in, I bet the roster has been posted up by now.”

Albus said a while later; they had long since landed and were now lying in the pitch, staring up at the starry sky.

“Yeah, I suppose you’re right.”

Scorpius said, sighing softly and reluctantly sitting up. It didn’t take the pair long to return the brooms and lock up the broom cupboard before they were trudging back up to the castle. Scorpius could feel the dread returning inside of him but he forced it away; no matter who was chosen it wouldn’t matter.

Right?

“Wanna look first?”

Albus asked, turning to face Scorpius as they stopped near the stick up board in the Slytherin common room. Scorpius’ mouth twisted and he shook his head, smiling nervously.

“No, you look.”

He replied quietly, watching Albus intently as he nodded and turned his gaze to the board. Time seemed to freeze all around him at that moment and Scorpius held his breath, pale gaze searching the others demeanor for any signs at all. Albus was staring blankly at the roster, crimson lips parted ever so slightly, gaze fixed on the stiff piece of parchment. Scorpius’ insides twisted with dread and anticipation and excitement and impending doom and he couldn’t take it a second more.

“Well?”

Scorpius blurted, bouncing impatiently beside the other boy. Albus turned to look at him, green eyes blinking slowly. Scorpius stared into those eyes he’d spent so much time pondering, noting how there seemed to be tiny flecks of amber in them and how they were slightly more emerald than grass and in the middle of it all, he almost seemed not to care which of them made the team…


	5. The first match

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Prim picks a fight and an ally; also, Quidditch and stuff!

“Well..?”

Scorpius asked again, nearly bouncing in anticipation as his friend stood there, staring at him blankly. Part of him wanted to reach up and shake Albus, to tell him to get on with it and just tell him already! The other part of him wanted to never hear the answer, for fear of what it might bring along with it. The minutes ticked past and Scorpius could feel his insides twisting with uncertainty, his gaze was pleading as he stared back at Albus, who finally tilted his head, dark brows furrowed just slightly.

“It’s me, I’m sorry Scorpius.”

Scorpius blinked at him for a minute, suddenly feeling very warm inside. So he hadn’t been chosen, somewhere inside he’d already known Albus was the better choice.

“Oh, that’s great Al, congratulations.”

He took a deep breath and smiled at his friend, not wanting him to think that he was upset at him for being better than he was. So he’d be the one sitting in the stands cheering instead of the one up in the air playing; there wasn’t anything to be done about it now and he really was happy for Albus.

“I know how much you wanted this, I’m really sorry.”

Don’t be sorry, you earned it.”

Scorpius could hardly bear the way the corner of Al’s eyes drooped down and he just knew that he must feel terrible; but he shouldn’t have. Scorpius would be fine, and there was always next year, right?

“I know but..”

Albus’ mouth twisted with the words and he too heaved a deep breath before offering Scorpius a tentative smile. “They put you down as reserve though, so if anything happens to me you can take over.”

He grinned wider now and Scorpius couldn’t help but grin back. Reserves were only meant to play in the event of emergencies and despite his desire to play on the team; he hoped it never came to that.

“Come on, we’ve got that charms homework to finish still.”

Scorpius groaned loudly and rolled his eyes, thinking he’d very much like to forget about the charms homework that Professor Flitwick had given them for the weekend. Everyone knew that homework given on the weekends was not ever _truly_ meant to be done.

“I can hardly wait.”

He muttered, following Albus up to their dorms to retrieve their books and equipment, his loss on the quidditch team pushed to the back of his mind; at least for now.

The next afternoon Albus had to go down to meet with the Quidditch team, leaving Scorpius to entertain himself for the first time since they’d become friends. It felt weird not having Albus there to joke with and he couldn’t help the little pang of regret that he felt briefly inside when he realized that this was the first of many days he’d have to spend without Albus. 

“Where’s your shadow?”

Scorpius had been so wrapped up in his own thoughts he hadn’t heard Prim sneak up beside him, and by the time he realized it was her it was too late; she’d already plopped herself down on the sofa and scooted extremely close to him.

“Albus you mean? “

He knew Prim well enough to know that she was still hurt about having been replaced by the other boy; he also knew that she liked to pick fights sometimes for the sake of doing it. Scorpius hoped that this was not one of those times.

“Yeah, the Potter kid. What is it with you two anyway?”

Prim’s voice had a nasal quality to it that could literally pull a cringe from a person, Scorpius and Rummel had joked about Prim’s ability on more than one occasion.

“We’re just friends is all, why?”

Scorpius glanced up from the letter he’d been penning his mother and set his quill down, fixing her with a stare and sweeping his hand in a gesture to continue.

“Scorpius, he always steals my seats and never lets me anywhere near you. I’m your best friend, how can you stand for such treatment of me?”

She was frowning at him and was tapping her foot like she was counting the seconds it took him to reply and Scorpius cringed inwardly and sighed.

“Prim, you’re being silly. We’re all friends, Albus included. You know that.”

“But that’s just it Scorpius, Albus Potter is NOT our friend. He doesn’t belong in our group.”

Scorpius frowned at her words, suddenly feeling very angry at her lack of understanding.

“Prim, Albus is **my** friend, and if you have a problem with that, then maybe it’s **you** who doesn’t belong.”

He almost instantly regretted the words once they’d left his mouth, the stricken look on her face a sufficient enough tool to guilt him into wanting to say he was sorry. He hadn’t meant to make her so mad or say mean things to her, but what she’d said about Albus really had angered him.

“Well if that’s the way you feel..”

She replied haughtily, turning her nose up and sniffing the air. Scorpius didn’t catch the pained expression in her eyes when she turned away and slid off the sofa, nor would he ever know that she had cried in the second year girls dorm for an entire hour; all he **did** know is that Prim was being stubborn and unfair by trying to push Albus out of their group. Scorpius liked Albus, and although he might never tell Prim that he preferred Albus over her; it was clear as any summer day.

 

The new few weeks slipped past in a blur; Scorpius was bogged down with studying and Albus had his first quidditch match of the season coming up the following weekend. Slytherin against Hufflepuff. Scorpius had long since gotten over his disappointment over not being chosen for the team, and had actually started accompanying Albus to the training sessions. Madam Hooch had insisted on it in the unlikely event he’d ever need to step in for Albus. Scorpius had discovered something during his first sit in at training; that Albus was a natural on a broom. It was no wonder he was chosen, the way he zipped around the field on his broom quietly amazed Scorpius and he was nothing short of proud for his friend.  Scorpius also had not spoken with Prim since the day they’d fought in the common room. She was skillfully ignoring him and would turn her nose up and look away whenever he looked at her. Rummel was no help, he would just laugh at them and shake his head, telling them both to stop being so stubborn.  Scorpius had given up trying to talk to her altogether, and while he missed his friendship with Prim, it would never be enough to give up the one he’d found with Albus.

The day of the match it was pleasantly overcast and the wind was minimal. Albus was fidgeting nervously during breakfast; Scorpius could feel him twitching beside him and he grinned, turning to his friend and raising a brow.

“You’re brilliant up there, it’ll be just great.”

He offered the raven haired boy a large grin which he easily reciprocated, nudging his shoulder with a small laugh.

“I know, it’s just the first one, you know? What if I fall off my broom?”

Scorpius laughed and shook his head, still grinning.

“You’re not gonna fall, you’ll find that snitch before Hufflepuff does, I’m sure of it.”

He nodded knowingly at his own words as he bit off a corner of his toast, chewing it thoughtfully.  “And I’ll be right there in the front row cheering you on.” He added, satisfied as his friend seemed to snap out of it and attack the rest of his breakfast with renewed fervor. Neither Albus nor Scorpius felt the gaze of another on them, nor did they see James Potter scowling at them darkly from his spot at the Gryffindor table. But that wasn’t to say that James’ scowling went completely unnoticed. A certain dark haired girl with an upturned nose spotted James Potter from her seat at the Slytherin table, watching him for a long moment before her mouth curved into a sly grin fit for any Slytherin. Scorpius had been successfully avoiding James and had not mentioned either of the incidents to Albus. He had written it off as uneasiness over him being a Malfoy on James’ part and had not really thought about it much at all lately. Surely James had gotten over whatever his problem had been with Scorpius, hadn’t he?

After breakfast Albus and Scorpius headed down to the pitch side by side, neither boy talking much along the way. When they reached the locker rooms Scorpius paused, lifting his pale blue gaze to peer at Albus.  He smiled at his friend and wondered how he himself might feel going into his first quidditch match. Would he be somewhat neverous like Albus or perhaps fearless like his mother? Scorpius reached up and clapped Albus gently on the shoulder, offering him a small smile.

“Good luck out there today, Albus.”

He said quietly, not missing the brief pinch of the others’ eyebrows as they drew together. Albus shifted his attention to Scorpius and smiled back, head tilting slightly.

“Thanks, Scorpius.”

Al’s voice was just as quiet and sounded slightly shaky, which made Scorpius grin wider. When they parted Scorpius was confident that Slytherin would take the game today and he was still pondering silently to himself about the Hufflepuff team when he arrived at the tall stands and made his way up to his spot in the front row. All around him the stands were starting to fill up with students and teachers alike, all turning out for the first match of the year.  Rum had plopped down beside him a short while later, Duston Montague eventually taking the vacant seat on his left, Alexa sitting on the other side of Duston. Prim was nowhere in sight, and the match was about to start. Scorpius scanned the rest of the stands, trying to pick Prim out among the sea of bodies, not that she’d come sit with him; but still. They might not be talking but she was still part of their group. Suddenly a whistle sounded and Scorpius’ attention snapped to the quidditch field in anticipation.

The Slytherin team took the field first to a loud amount of cheers and claps, Scorpius shouting just as loud. Next it was the Hufflepuffs, who were met with slightly less cheers; Scorpius politely clapped for the opposing team as well. Madam Hooch was on the field between the two captains, explaining rules and preparing to start the game. Scorpius watched raptly as she removed the golden snitch from its spot in the case holding it up over her head and releasing it; its translucent wings flapping freely for a moment before it darted away. Scorpius’ gaze moved to Albus next, who was also watching the snitch with a concentrated stare. The whistle sounded and both teams kicked off into the air, Scorpius’ head tipped back to watch Albus climb higher and higher in the air.   Everyone’s gaze was on the players on the field, so it was no wonder that a certain pair of students went unseen as they darted back towards the castle.  One, a girl with short dark hair and Slytherin robes; the other a boy, his robes Gryffindor..


	6. Of snakes and lions and missing snitches

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The one where James Potter and Prim Parkinson hatch a plan.

“What do you want, Parkinson?”

James Potter was tapping his foot and glaring at her like she was a freak. His arms were crossed over his chest and he was standing far enough away from her that she couldn’t help but wonder if he thought he might catch something.

“I told you Potter, we have a common interest, and I think we can help each other out.”

“Oh gross Parkinson, you wish!”

James snorted and poked out his tongue and his face pinched in disgust. Prim rolled her eyes impatiently and resisted the urge to smack his face for his obvious cheek.

“Not like that, you thick idiot. I’m talking about Scorpius and Albus.”

She glared at him, mildly pleased to see that he appeared to have at least a basic understanding of the human language, judging by the sudden shift in expression from disgust to understanding.

“Yeah, what is it about you Slytherins anyways? You just take whoever you want for your slimy club, even my brother?”

Prim took her turn snorting, her eyes rolling once more of their own accord.

“Believe me Potter, if it were up to me your precious... ‘Brother’ wouldn’t even BE in Slytherin.”

James was suddenly smirking at her and nodding his head as if he knew something she did not.

“Ohh, I get it. You’re jealous of Al. Is Scorpius your boyfriend or something?”

There was a clear air of amusement in his voice and it irritated Prim, which pulled her eyebrows into a deep scowl.

“I’m not jealous of Albus Potter. I simply don’t understand what Scorpius sees in him is all.”

“Oi, that’s my brother you’re talking about, Parkinson.”

“Yes I know that, Potter. So what are we going to do about it? “

James seemed to take pause, his brows drawn together.

“What’d you have in mind, Parkinson?”

“My mother always says the sure fire way to break two people up is cause a rift; something so terrible that they can’t ever fully come back together. Potter, we need a scandal, and if it’s one thing Slytherins know, its scandal.”

Prim’s rosy lips curved into a devilish sort of grin, knowing that James Potter would not be able to say no to her tempting plan of breaking apart Scorpius and Albus.

“Parkinson, I hate to admit it, but that’s…Not half bad.”

James nodded, clearly impressed with her plan. “Just one problem, we need a scandal.”

Prim’s grin stretched into a knowing smirk as she stared back at him, head nodding slowly.

“Leave that to me, Potter.”

 

~

 

“You did it Al, you caught the snitch! You were brilliant out there, just brilliant!”

Scorpius was rambling a mile a minute as he trudged back up to the castle with Albus after the game ended. Al was red as a lobster and looked utterly thrilled.

“Thanks Scorpius, I think I heard you guys shouting from the stands way up there at one point.”

Al grinned at him sideways and then it was Scorpius’ turn to darken several shades of pink. Had they really been shouting that loud? Scorpius couldn’t remember a point when the rest of their friends weren’t shouting as loud as he was, although it didn’t really matter; Scorpius had cheered the loudest because Albus was important to him. It wasn’t often that your very best friend won a quidditch match.

The game had been a spectacular display of Slytherin’s cunning ability and sleek uniformity as a team. Scorpius had been held enthralled by the entire thing, captivated intently and yet still finding his pale gaze flicking up to search for Albus high above. The final score had been 225-110 in favor of Slytherin; just as predicted, those Hufflepuffs hadn’t stood a chance against the Slytherins. Everyone had long since returned to the castle for celebrations, only Scorpius had remained; waiting for Albus to shuck off his gear and clean up before they headed up to join in the celebrations.

“Can’t wait til the next match.”

Albus murmured as they heaved open the doors of the castle and slipped inside, Scorpius following right behind. He grinned at Albus as they headed for the stairs leading to the dungeons, head nodding in agreement.

“Me either, it’ll be brilliant!”

The rest of the way to the Slytherin common room was spent chattering about upcoming matches and endless possible outcomes, their voices bouncing off the damp stone walls of the corridors. Neither one of the boys seemed to notice Prim Parkinson watching them from a shadowy corner, arms crossed over her chest and eyes narrowed in what looked an awful lot like hate. It was also fair to assume that neither Albus nor Scorpius saw Prim reach into the pocket of her robe and withdraw her wand, which she pointed at their retreating backs; one very quietly whispered summoning spell later had a small object soaring out of the bag slung over Albus’ shoulder. It wasn’t until the two boys had disappeared into the common room that Prim stepped out from her shadowy hiding place, smirking triumphantly as she held up the small object she had taken from Albus between her fingers.

“A broken snitch? What a stupid thing to carry around.”

Prim narrowed her eyes at the seemingly useless gold ball in her grasp, examining the crack that ran around its center and left it slightly askew. She had meant to summon the thing most precious to him, but that couldn’t _really_ be a broken and useless snitch, could it? Prim shrugged and pocketed the ball before turning and heading towards the common room herself. Of course she wouldn’t stay at the party that would undoubtedly be centered on Albus; instead she had a letter to write. A very important letter to her mother…

~

“Come on Albus, we’re gonna be late for Potions!”

Scorpius was bouncing impatiently by the door of the boys dorms, watching his friend rifle through the trunk at the foot of his bed. Albus had been tearing up his things all morning looking for something, but every time Scorpius asked him what it was, he shook his head and didn’t say. Scorpius didn’t like seeing Albus so upset, but what could he do? He’d offered to help and Albus had kindly refused and muttered something about his father.

“I’ve got to find it Scorpius, I’ve just got to.”

Albus had paused in his frantic search of the trunk and peered up at Scorpius, his brows wrinkled together in a frown. Any and all impatience Scorpius had been feeling instantly abandoned him and he sighed, stepping back into the dorm room and crossing the space to where Albus knelt at the foot of his bed.

“You’ve got to tell me what we’re looking for if you expect me to help.”

Scorpius reasoned, dropping his book bag and leaning against Albus’ four poster, regarding him intently.

“It’s okay, I mean, I won’t tell anyone, whatever it is.”

He added as an afterthought, offering the other boy a small smile.

“It’s not like that, Scorpius.”

Albus replied with a wrinkle of his nose, raven head shaking softly.

“It’s just…”

He lifted his gaze to Scorpius as he paused, seemingly regarding him carefully as if silently pondering if he were worthy of his secrets.

“It’s my dad’s first game snitch; he gave it to me for luck. But this isn’t any ordinary snitch Scorpius, this one is special and if I don’t find it…”

Albus tore at his hair as the rest of that thought died on his lips, head shaking mournfully. Scorpius frowned as he watched his friend, wanting nothing more than to find his dad’s snitch and make him smile again.

“We’ll find it Albus, I promise.”

Scorpius smiled and hopped up on the bed, legs dangling over the side.

“When’s the last time you had it? We’ll start from there and retrace your steps.”

If there was one thing Scorpius knew, it was that you couldn’t really accomplish anything when you didn’t first have a proper plan. His mother had taught him that, and he never was so thankful for her lesson than he was now. For the next quarter of an hour Scorpius and Albus went over and over Albus’ last couple of days, retracing his steps until they decided the best place to start was down at the pitch. Once it was decided that the pitch is where they would start there was no stopping them as they raced out of the boy’s dorm and ambled down the stairs. The potions lesson they were currently missing didn’t even cross either their minds as they ran through the dungeon corridors and towards the exit, where they would race down to the pitch to begin their search.  As it happened, it was precisely that moment that another pair of students who were missing from their current lessons made an appearance in the dungeon corridors, although this pair was definitely stealthier.

“Come on Potter, we don’t have much time!”

Prim Parkinson hissed over her shoulder as she led the way towards the Slytherin common room. She knew she was taking a great risk bringing the Gryffindor into their common room, but this was necessary; absolutely so.

“Just keep your slimy friends away from me; I don’t want to catch anything.”

James hissed right into her ear, chuckling smugly as they stepped into the narrow space between a gap in the stone wall that led to the common room under the lake. Prim led James through the vacant common room and to the foot of the stairs leading up to Albus and Scorpius’ dorm, tapping her foot impatiently as his large Gryffindor eyes took in the room around him.

“Okay, here’s what you need to do Potter. When you get into the boys dorm you’ll see six beds in a horse shoe around the door…”

Prim pause to narrow her eyes at James, who _clearly_ wasn’t paying her any attention.

“James! Are you listening to me?! This is important!”

She thumped him on the head and was vaguely pleased when he winced and rubbed the spot moodily, although at least now he was paying proper attention.

“To your immediate left will be Rummel Zabini’s bed, next to him is Scorpius. Albus is directly across from Scorpius. Now, all you need to do is hide the snitch in Scorpius’ things. Somewhere not easily found either. Can you do that?”

Prim was leaning towards him and watching him like a hawk, her chocolate gaze nearly boring holes into his forehead.

“Sure Parkinson, I can do that, but tell me again why you can’t just go up there yourself and do this?”

James cocked an arrogant brow at her and she felt her left eye twitch just a little bit. How James Potter Jr. Ever managed to get anyone to snog him was beyond her farthest reach of imagination. His ego was utterly overwhelming and distasteful.

“Because, genius, the stairs are charmed to keep girls out.”

She rolled her eyes at him as if this should have been common knowledge for any average person.

“Now go, before someone comes and finds you here.”

Prim shoved him towards the stairs and glared at him, watching as he poked his tongue out at her and climbed the stairs. James pondered how it was that Prim seemed to know exactly where everyone’s beds were in a dorm room she’d never been inside before and made a mental note to tease her for the information.

“James Potter get your head out of your arse and hurry UP!”

Prim’s hissed voice carried up the staircase causing James to pause at the doorway and give her a rather rude hand gesture before turning the knob and stepping inside. His eyes moved to his immediate left and moved over the tidy bed of Rummel Zabini. He let the door fall closed as he moved towards Scorpius’ bed, his fingers curling tighter around the snitch in his pocket. There was a brief moment where he paused and glanced over to the bed that clearly belonged to his brother; the utter disarray looked exactly like his room at home. He pondered briefly if what they were doing was wrong, if he shouldn’t’ just let his hard feelings towards the Malfoy family go and let Albus and Scorpius have their little friendship. But there was another voice inside of him too, the spirited voice of his mother, insisting that what he was doing he was doing because he cared about Albus. Sometimes protection had to come at a price, and that is exactly what he was doing; protecting his younger brother.

“It’s done.”

James announced as he jumped off the last step and landed next to an impatiently waiting Prim, who only arched a black eyebrow at him skeptically.

“Where did you put it?”

She asked, curling her fingers around his arm and dragging him towards the exit out of the common room.

“The one place that someone who’s hiding something wants that something; bottom of his sock drawer stuffed in a thick woolen pair.”

James beamed proudly at her as they left the Slytherin common room, parting ways just before they reached the main level of the castle and going about their business. Neither Scorpius nor Albus could have any indication of what had just transpired between Prim and James, nor could they possibly prevent the events that would unfold as a cause of this one single act of cruelty.

For now they remained oblivious, searching the thick grass of the quidditch pitch for Albus’s missing snitch, still very much the best of friends.

 


	7. Nice to know you

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Albus finds a lot more than just his snitch and Scorpius questions their friendship; just another day in the Slytherin dorms!

Albus’ mood had not improved by the week’s end and Scorpius couldn’t help but feel powerless about the entire thing. After more prodding about the lost snitch Albus had told him all about the special object and how it had once contained the resurrection stone that had enabled his father to defeat Voldemort. Scorpius had stared wide eyed at Albus as he told the tale, finally understanding why his friend had been so desperate to get the snitch back. He’d heard stories of the war from his father and grandmother, even read lots of historic retellings of it, but he’d never heard ‘this’ particular story. Scorpius was fascinated and also determined to help Albus find the broken snitch, no matter what.

By the following week’s end the two of them had searched just about every nook and cranny of the entire castle, tracing and retracing Albus’ footsteps until there was nowhere left to look. Scorpius had run out of ideas on how to go about finding the snitch, and Albus had fallen into a quiet sort of depression. Currently they were sitting in the great hall for Saturday breakfast, or rather, Scorpius was having breakfast and Albus was picking at a small pile of cooling eggs with his fork.

“What should we do today?”

Scorpius asked brightly, offering a side long grin at Albus and trying his best to help him out of his rut. He hated seeing Albus like this and if he couldn’t help him find the snitch, he would at least try and help him to take his mind off of it.

“I don’t feel like doing anything.”

Albus responded moodily, dark brows drawn together in a deep scowl. Scorpius’ mouth twisted and he nodded solemnly before dabbing at the corners of his mouth with a napkin and pushing his plate aside.

“Okay, well, we don’t have to do anything if you don’t want.”

Scorpius tried not to sound disappointed even though he kind of felt it inside. He’d never had as good of a time at school as he had since he and Albus had become friends, and now it seemed that it was all starting to slip away from him.

“You know I can’t do anything at all until I find that snitch Scorpius, why do you keep trying to get me away from it?”

Albus was staring at Scorpius in a way that he did not like one bit. He flinched at the harsh words and his own fair brows drew into a frown. He didn’t blame Albus for being upset; he only wished he could somehow make it better for him.

“I’m sorry Al, I wasn’t trying to…”

Scorpius murmured and watched his friend for a response, he wasn’t sure what was happening between them but he knew that it left him with a sense of dread inside. They really, _really_ needed to find that snitch.

“Don’t worry about it, I gotta go, see you later Scorpius.”

Albus scrambled out of his seat and headed out of the great hall, leaving Scorpius to stare after his departing form in confusion. What had just happened? Had he said something wrong? Scorpius didn’t understand but he decided to let Albus have some space, he had a potions essay that needed tending to anyways…

-

“Did you see that? It’s started.”

Prim Parkinson and James Potter Jr. were huddled together near the very end of the Gryffindor table, watching the exchange between Scorpius and Albus from across the Great Hall. Prim had taken to meeting James there near the end of meals so they could discuss their ‘plan’ and give one another updates. Prim would tell James all about the goings on in the Slytherin common room and what she observed, and James would tell her about how morose Albus was being, even for him.

“He was moping about by the lake yesterday afternoon and I may have suggested that maybe one of his Slytherin friends had found his snitch.”

James grinned across the table at her and was looking rather smug with his actions to which Prim merely rolled her eyes.

“That’s good thinking Potter, just don’t overdo it; we don’t need either one of them figuring out what we’re up to.”

Prim sipped silently from her teacup, dark gaze fixed on Scorpius who was looking like his favorite pet had just died. She couldn’t help but smirk smugly at the sight, the sense of satisfaction she felt inside was oddly gratifying; it served Scorpius right for dismissing their friendship so easily.

“I’ve got to go, I imagine it’s only a matter of time before there is a blow up in the Slytherin dorms and I don’t plan on missing it.”

Prim set down her teacup and slid out of her seat, regarding James with a haughty brow raise before turning on her heel and sauntering away; flipping her hair off her shoulder as she went.  James rolled his eyes at her but watched her all the same; he would never admit it to ANYONE, but Prim Parkinson wasn’t as bad as most people made her out to be. 

“Definitely taking that one to the grave.”

He muttered darkly, shaking his head at his own thoughts and sliding a large Belgium waffle onto his plate, resolutely forcing any and all thoughts of Prim Parkinson out of his mind.

-

By the time Scorpius had put the finishing touches on his Potions essay the sun was already setting and a cold chill was sweeping over the castle. He yawned and scratched at his head as he neatly organized everything back into his book sack under the watchful glare of Madam Pince. He was one of the last to leave the warmth of the library that evening and as he pushed the door open and stepped into the hall he shivered and pulled his cloak tighter around himself. He set off for the dungeons, wondering what Albus had been up to all day. He couldn’t deny being just a little bit disappointed that his friend hadn’t come to find him the entire day, but perhaps he was feeling better than he had been at breakfast and they would be able to make the most of the rest of their weekend.  All the way back to the dungeons Scorpius’ mind was on Albus, he thought back to that very first day, when Albus had caught him staring all those times; it seemed like a lifetime ago now. So much had happened, they had become so close, more so than any other friend Scorpius had ever had; even Rum. Perhaps that is why he felt the effects of the past couple of weeks and Albus’ missing snitch so strongly, because they were such good friends. Scorpius figured he’d do just about anything for Albus and it was there, with his footfalls echoing off the dungeon walls that he decided he’d see the headmistress tomorrow about Albus’ snitch. Surely there was something she could do, some advanced magic to locate the broken artifact that meant the world to his very best friend.

Scorpius brightened considerably now that he had a new plan of action set in his mind; his pace picked up and he was suddenly anxious to get back to the dorm to tell Albus all about his idea. The Common room was fairly vacant for a Saturday, not that he paid much attention as he ambled through; he didn’t even see Prim sitting by the fire watching him through lowered lashes.

“Albus I have an ide—“

Scorpius stopped short as he threw open the dorm room door, eyes wide in shock. The entire room looked like a tornado hex had been unleashed within it and he could only gape stupidly at a very angry looking Albus sitting in the middle of it all.

“What…What happened in here?”

He mumbled, stepping fully into the dorm and letting the door close behind him. He glanced slowly around the room, seized in horrified awe of the utter damage that had been caused. Tapestries hung limply from single hooks on the wall, every bed unmade with violent haste, coverings tossed aside. Drawers open and spewing their contents, tables overturned, trunks upended, inkpots and class work scrolls scattered about. It was total and utter chaos, even his own belongings, and he didn’t understand…Had Albus done this, and if so, whatever for?

“Albus…?”

Scorpius turned back to his friend who had risen to his feet while he wasn’t looking. He blinked at Albus who was glaring at him, fists clenched into tight balls, chest heaving. Scorpius felt a trickle of fear race down his spine and he had no idea why.

“Albus what—“

It was then that Scorpius saw it; the tiny golden ball caught in Albus’ clenched fist. He instantly brightened, a huge sense of relief washing over him.

“You found it! Oh, that’s brilliant!”

His sense of happiness over the found snitch was short lived however when Albus took a step towards him, still glowering dangerously. Scorpius took pause to stare at his friend, head tilting in confusion.

“How could you?”

The question had been uttered so quietly Scorpius could have nearly sworn it had not been spoken at all. He blinked at Albus, the sense of dread he’d been feeling earlier now returning; tenfold.

“What? Albus I don’t understand…”

“HOW COULD YOU?!”

He’d definitely heard Albus that time, even flinched at the bellowed words. Scorpius gaped at the other boy, now more confused than ever.

“How could I what? Albus, what’s going on, what’s the matter?”

Scorpius tried not to sound as scared as he suddenly felt but failed, truth be told he **was** scared; he was bloody terrified, actually.

“All of this time, ALL of this time I trusted you. Told you things I’ve NEVER told anyone, and this is how you thank me? You just couldn’t let me have it, could you Scorpius? You couldn’t stand that I got chosen for the team and you didn’t, is that it? I should have known, I should have known better than to trust a Malfoy!”

Albus Potter was out of control.

He was shouting and stomping on broken quills and ruined bedding without care. His entire form was shaking with utter fury; fury at his so called best friend and at himself for believing that Scorpius was anything other than a snake through and through. It hadn’t been his intention to destroy the entire dorm it had just happened, but now he was certainly glad he had inherited his father’s lack of self control.

Scorpius Malfoy had stolen his father’s snitch.

“Albus I don’t understand…”

It’s no wonder that Albus didn’t jump on Scorpius right there and pummel the lying git; how can someone so rotten act so utterly innocent? It enraged Albus and made him want to shout; to break things; lots of things.

“Come off it Scorpius, I found it; I found the snitch.”

He held up the broken snitch in his grasp for Scorpius to see, shaking it in his face.

“That’s great Albus, I’m really happy for you, but why are you so angry?”

Albus snorted at Scorpius’ pathetic attempts to save face, head shaking vehemently.

“I found it in YOUR things Scorpius, are you going to try and tell me that it wasn’t you all along? That it wasn’t my so called ‘best friend’ who stole my father’s snitch and tried to keep it for himself?”

Scorpius stared at Albus as he carried on, his face paling several shades. He couldn’t believe his ears, had he perhaps fallen asleep back at the library and this was all just some horrible nightmare? 

“I didn’t steal your father’s snitch, Albus.”

“LIAR! I found it in your chest of drawers, stuffed inside a pair of your stupid socks!”

“Scorpius frowned and his eyes moved to his own ransacked chest of drawers, staring at it in disbelief. Surely Albus was mistaken…

“Albus I didn’t—“

“LIAR! “

Something clicked inside of Scorpius and his eyes narrowed slightly, it was now his turn to glare back at Albus.

“I am not a liar Albus, stop calling me that. And I didn’t steal your stupid snitch.”

Albus snorted and rolled his eyes, clearly not believing a thing Scorpius was saying. His behavior angered Scorpius and his eyes narrowed to fine slits as they stood across from one another in the middle of the disemboweled room, both boys’ anger reaching a boiling point.

“Some friend you turned out to be, I should have listened to my brother and never lowered myself to the likes of you.”

Albus’ voice was dangerously low and had an air of disgust to it that made Scorpius’ skin prickle with anger.  If Albus wanted to act like a git and throw their friendship away over something that Scorpius had not even done that was his problem and HIS loss; Scorpius’ anger did not allow him to think anything else.

“Friends don’t call their friends liars Albus; obviously you weren’t ever a friend of mine.”

Scorpius’ voice was more dismissive than anything, it was the only way he knew how to hide the hurt that was bubbling inside of him and threatening to spill out.  The thought of Albus not being in his life anymore was unbearable to think of, but he refused to be a receptacle for the other boy’s anger.

“Obviously.”

Albus spat, glaring smugly back at Scorpius for several minutes before he shrugged a shoulder and pushed past, heading out of the dorm room and slamming the door behind him. 

Scorpius remained where he was for several minutes, chest heaving with the sadness and anger that swirled inside of him. He didn’t know who was responsible for putting the snitch in his drawer but he found it hardly mattered, considering how cruel Albus had been to him just now.

Perhaps they had never really been friends after all, and that was the saddest realization of all.

He heaved a quiet sigh and crossed the room to his bed, ignoring the crunch of broken ink pots under his feet. He repaired the hangings on his four poster and spelled all his belongings back into their place before climbing up onto the bed and drawing the curtains closed. Scorpius lay there for a while, playing and replaying the image of Albus’ accusations in his head. The other boy had looked so angry, hateful almost and Scorpius couldn’t help but wonder if he’d always secretly felt that way, on some level at least. It was a long while before he dropped into a fitful sleep, one riddled with black clouds that represented anger swirling about him endlessly.

He didn’t emerge when dorm mates started trickling in, gasping in shock at the state of the room, each grumbling and shouting before a house elf finally appeared to set everything right.  His entire world had just been upended like the dorm, although he very much doubted it could be repaired as easily.


	8. Sour grapes

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Albus is morose, Jamie is impassive, and Scorpius talks to a spider. Yep, that about covers it!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Not sure if I will ever finish this, but I did realize that I had Chapter 8 stored away that I never had gotten around to posting. Maybe someday...;)

“He won’t even look at me Jamie, it’s been two weeks and he’s said nothing.” Albus was sitting cross-legged in the grass by the edge of the lake, picking absently at stray blades of green and ignoring the soft buzz of insects that swept lazily past his ears.

It had been fourteen days since he’d confronted Scorpius in the boy’s dorm, fourteen days to come to terms with the fact that his best friend had stolen his father’s snitch. After that night the Slytherins had become divided, not that anything had ever been voiced aloud, but it was there. The classmates who took his side, and those that took Scorpius’. At first Albus had been glad about it, relieved that he had discovered the truth about Scorpius Malfoy early on. There was no sense in being in the company of thieves and liars, after all. Now, as the time passed, Albus found himself quietly mourning the loss. He found his thoughts wandering back to the good times he’d shared with the blond. His mind would replay those moments over and over inside his head like a private muggle movie, pausing on Scorpius smiling at him in various locations and Albus couldn’t help but wonder if it had all been a lie too.

It must have been, right?

“Jamie, what am I to do? I…I miss him.” Albus murmured the last bit so quietly it could have been a whisper and as he raised his head to peer up at his brother he almost wished he’d kept it to himself.

“Stop talking like that. You don’t need people like Scorpius Malfoy in your life. Malfoys are scum Albus, you’ve heard all the stories of what they’ve done. Remember what uncle Ron told us about Aunt Hermione when they were held prisoner in their weird house? Personally, I think you dodged a hex.” James was leaning against a large tree fiddling with his wand, already growing terribly bored of his brother’s depressed state.

Albus had always been a bit dramatic, but this was taking it to new levels; James had thought that breaking up Albus and Scorpius would have done his brother some good, but as time went on, he wasn’t so sure.

“But Scorpius isn’t like that, Jamie. He was always very nice to me and I thought…I thought we were friends.” Albus lowered his head again and took to picking at blades of grass, a deep frown etched on his face.

He looked small from where James was standing and it struck him in a way that he was not proud of. Maybe what he’d done was wrong, had he gone too far? Was it fair for him to decide what was best for Albus? His dad always told him to look out for his younger brother, to keep an eye on him and make sure he was okay. James had _thought_ that was what he had been doing when he teamed up with Prim Parkinson and that is what he told himself now. He had only been looking out for Albus. Surely if he hadn’t intervened the Malfoy git would have done something eventually to hurt his brother…

“Come on Albus, let’s go practice, yeah? I saw you play last week and it was dreadful; you **need** the broom time.” James pushed himself off the tree and held a hand out for his brother, wiggling it impatiently when it wasn’t immediately received.

All Albus needed was some time to see that his life was much better off without Scorpius Malfoy in it, James was certain of it.

                                                                                          -@-

“Im-ped- _IH_ - _men_ -tah.” The carefully enunciated word was accompanied by a firm flick of a wand and followed by a tiny spray out of the end but little more.

Scorpius scowled in frustration and pushed sweaty strands of blond hair off his forehead before raising the wand and pointing it at the small spider that was spinning a web in the corner of the vacant classroom he currently inhabited.

“Im-ped-ih- _MEN_ -tah!” This time a soft flow of white light hit the spider who seemed to stop mid step, as if it had just decided to pause for a rest. Scorpius smirked smugly at the frozen insect, pleased that it had only taken him half the day’s sunlight to get it right.

“It’s all about pronunciation, see?” Scorpius knew he was talking to a bloody spider but he didn’t actually care and after another moment or so of gleeful victory he waved his wand again, releasing the spider to carry on with its task. 

He heaved a sigh and turned away from the window ledge, leaning against the stone wall before sliding down and coming to rest on the ground. The past two weeks had been anything but pleasant for Scorpius. Not only had his best friend accused him wrongly, but it also seemed that most of the Slytherins agreed with Albus Potter. Some even said they ‘had seen it coming’ and were not the least bit surprised. At first Scorpius had been angry at Albus for not believing him, for thinking he was capable of the worst, even against his very best friend. It didn’t take long for Scorpius to realize that something like this would have happened sooner or later, it always did. He was a Malfoy, his father’s son, and to most of the wizarding world that automatically made him a criminal.

He had thought that Albus was different, that Albus could actually **see** him; how wrong he had been…

Scorpius sat there leaned up against the wall for a long while, his mind reluctantly wandering back to Albus and his stupid face. How could he have thought Scorpius was capable of such a thing? Albus had called him a liar with such utter loathing, Scorpius doubted he would ever forget it, as long as he lived. A movement caught his attention out the corner of his eye and he shifted his focus to the spider from the window that was now descending on a long strand of web towards him. He smiled a bit sadly, wondering if this was how it would always be.

“Trying to make me feel better, are you?” He raised his wand and issued a perfectly enunciated _Impedimenta_ jinx and the spider instantly froze, dangling precariously in front of him.

Scorpius grinned and couldn’t deny that he did in fact feel slightly better. He released the spider from the jinx and pushed himself off the ground, pausing to watch the small brown creature slowly make its way back to its web in the corner of the window. He silently marveled at the spider’s resilience, at the way it kept on going as if nothing had happened; determined to finish the task at hand. Scorpius supposed he could learn a thing or two from the spider and then promptly decided he was mental and should go seek some human interaction before he started having an actual conversation with the thing.

“It did you know, make me feel better.” It was a whispered confession, but one he figured the spider deserved anyways and as he slipped out of the classroom he glanced over his shoulder a final time at the window spider, which was once again happily spinning its web.


End file.
